Kalonzo talks tough, tells Wiper renegades to toe the line or quit

Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka (left) consults with Kitui Governor Julius Malombe during a rally at Tseikuru town, Mwingi North constituency, Kitui County. [PHOTO: PAUL MUTUA/STANDARD]

NAIROBI: Last week’s visit by Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua to Tseikuru, Kitui County, in the company of perceived Wiper rebels followed closely by a tour of the area by Lands Cabinet Secretary Charity Ngilu has rattled the party leadership.

Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka, a governor, two senators, MPs and several Kitui MCAs on Thursday visited Tseikuru on a damage control mission during which they dared party rebels to quit.

During the tour, Kitui Governor Julius Malombe, Mombasa Senator Hassan Omar and his Kitui counterpart David Musila, Kitui East MP Mutua Muluvi, area MP John Munuve and the MCAs were unanimous that the visit by Mutua and Ngilu were a ploy to wreck the Kamba unity and advance the Jubilee agenda in the region.

Munuve was criticised for allegedly disrespecting the party that sponsored him to Parliament.

A tough talking Kalonzo accused him of disloyalty. “Leaders like Munuve must stop the double standards. It is either you are in Wiper or outside. If you want to go, go now and bring Jubilee to campaign for you. There must be order within this party,” charged Kalonzo, who stood a few metres from Munuve.

Musila told Munuve and other party rebels to remain steadfast in Wiper if they wanted to retain their seats. “If you go outside the party then you are as good as cursed,” Musila warned. He said they were revamping Wiper for the coming polls. However, Munuve, who spoke earlier after some MCAs criticised his actions, said those who were reading malice in his hosting of Governor Mutua were “sycophants seeking favours from Kalonzo”.

“We only came here for a fundraiser and I can tell you nobody insulted or mocked you. Those who come to seek little favours from you should not soil my name,” Munuve said to Kalonzo even as the crowd jeered him.

The MP offered to support Kalonzo for president in 2017 if CORD leaders chose him as their candidate. But the offer was immediately dismissed as a Jubilee tactic to wreck the coalition. “Munuve is just enacting a Jubilee script to wreck CORD. He is not genuine in his assertion,” declared Mwingi Central MCA Bernard Munyasya. Munyasya said Wiper leaders who bring Jubilee leaders to Kitui County in the absence of Kalonzo were up to mischief. Governor Malombe criticised Mutua and Ngilu, saying they were agents of confusion.

“When you see some people hovering around in borrowed Jubilee helicopters, don’t be worried. They should not even entice you with title deeds because that is your right, not a favour,” said Malombe.

Last week, Mutua flew to Tseikuru for a fundraiser at Mama Malia Secondary School, an institution in Kalonzo’s backyard and one named after the former VP’s late mother. He was accompanied by MPs Joe Mutambu (Mwingi Central), Vincent Musyoka (Mwala) and Victor Munyaka (Machakos Town).

Early this week, Ngilu in the company of Mutambu and Kitui South MP Rachael Nyamai addressed rallies in Kyuso, Mwingi, Kanziku, Mutha and Kisasi.